Cantor Pulls Out of Biden-Led Budget Talks  —  WASHINGTON—House Majority Leader Eric Cantor Thursday said he was pulling out of the bipartisan budget talks headed by Vice President Joe Biden for now because the group has reached an impasse over taxes that only President Barack Obama and Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) could resolve.

Senate Republicans moving closer to saying ‘I do’ to gay marriage in New York State  —  ALBANY - Senate Republicans on Wednesday were close to signing off on a religious protection provision that could boost the chances that gay marriage will pass in New York.

Whitey Bulger Is Arrested in California  —  LOS ANGELES — James (Whitey) Bulger, a legendary Boston crime boss indicted in 19 murders and who is on the F.B.I.'s 10 Most Wanted list, was arrested by federal authorities Wednesday night in Santa Monica, ending an international manhunt that had gone …

Drafting Rubio  —  The Republican nomination for president is completely up for grabs, but there's a lot of agreement on who the vice presidential pick should be: freshman senator Marco Rubio.  —  The Republican nomination for president is completely up for grabs, but there's a lot of agreement …

EXCLUSIVE — Herman Cain: Jon Stewart Attacked Me 'Because I'm Black'  —  ThinkProgress filed this report from Iowa Falls, Iowa.  —  Earlier this month, ThinkProgress reported that GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain told an audience in Pella, Iowa that he would not sign a bill longer than three pages.

Why Obama Is Likely to Lose in 2012  —  Even a small drop in the share of black voters would wipe out his winning margin in North Carolina.  —  President Barack Obama is likely to be defeated in 2012.  The reason is that he faces four serious threats.  The economy is very weak and unlikely …

W.H. to release 30M barrels of oil  —  The Obama administration will release 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to offset oil supply disruptions in the Middle East, the Energy Department announced Thursday morning.  —  Other International Energy Agency countries …

Geert Wilders Verdict: Not Guilty All Counts!  Eureka!  “Today is a victory for freedom of speech”  —  UPDATE: “I am delighted with this ruling,” says Geert Wilders.  “It is a victory, not only for me but for all the Dutch people.  Today is a victory for freedom of speech.

So much for real victory - unless, that is, it's merely a political one  —  So now we know: After 10 years, billions of dollars and thousands of American casualties, victory in Afghanistan come 2014 will consist of having killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.  The rest is process …

Jobless claims data points to weak labor market  —  (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose last week, suggesting little improvement in the labor market this month after employment stumbled badly in May.  —  Initial claims for state unemployment …

Ryan Medicare Plan Would Make Americans Worse by 57%-34%, Poll Shows  —  Representative Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman who has become a star in the Republican Party with his plan to overhaul Medicare, is emerging as a polarizing figure among Americans.

The Haunting of Rick Perry  —  Should Gov. Rick Perry of Texas enter the 2012 presidential race, he would enjoy a strange and remarkable escort — the irrepressible ghost of Cameron Todd Willingham.  —  Charged with the horrific crime of intentionally torching his home and leaving …

I Liked the ‘Chinese Professor’ Ad, But This Is Stupid and Offensive  —  (See update below.)  Unlike many people, I admired the panache and artistry of the “Chinese Professor” ad used during last fall's campaign to warn about the self- destructive tendencies of America's borrow-and-spend era.

Democrats Blue as Senate Acquires a Reddish Tinge  —  Larry J. Sabato and Kyle Kondik, U.Va. Center for Politics  —  As we take a fresh look at next year's Senate races, one thing is clear: Barring an unexpected reelection landslide by President Obama, Republicans are at least slightly favored to take the Senate.

EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Chris Christie  —  When I last spoke to Chris Christie in 2009 he was locked in a primary battle for the New Jersey governorship with an opponent who claimed he was insufficiently conservative.  He was brimming then with ideas about cutting employee benefits …

Liberal Dems slam Obama for ‘pursuing wrong mission’ in Afghanistan  —  A number of liberal Democrats expressed dissatisfaction with President Obama's plan to expedite the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.  —  They said the administration's nation-building strategy is destined to fail …

The Interpretation-Construction Distinction  —  Constitutional Commentary, Vol. 27, pp.  95-118, 2010  —  Abstract:  —  The interpretation-construction distinction, which marks the difference between linguistic meaning and legal effect, is much discussed these days.

Inside the Anonymous Army of ‘Hacktivist’ Attackers  —  HOOGEZAND-SAPPEMEER, Netherlands—In this sleepy Dutch town last December, police burst into the bedroom of 19-year-old Martijn Gonlag as he hurriedly pulled on jeans over his boxer shorts.  He was hauled away on suspicion of taking part …